


Vigilantes, Thieves and Rooftop Chases

by LostCryptid



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, M/M, Secret Identity, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:13:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27701195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LostCryptid/pseuds/LostCryptid
Summary: Gerry has to deal with a very irritating thief calling himself the Distortion.Michael has to deal with a Vigilante calling himself the Beholder that continues to interrupt his heists.What neither of them knows is that the other might be closer than they expect.
Relationships: Gerard Keay/Michael Shelley
Comments: 9
Kudos: 55





	Vigilantes, Thieves and Rooftop Chases

**Author's Note:**

> Alternate Title: Maybe Next Week

“Long time no see little Beholder.” 

The words greeted Gerry before he even saw the person they came from themself. 

“Distortion.” he greeted quietly as the other shoot him a wide grin from under his mask. “Should’ve known that it’s you.”

“Oh?” the Distortion chirped. “Am I getting predictable?” he asked.

“Not necessarily, but your traps are quite….specific.” Gerry said, slowly circling the other. Neither seemed keen on losing sight.

“Didn’t know you’re a fan.” the Distortion shoot back.

“I wouldn’t call it being a fan,” Gerry replied, the familiar prickling of the heat already tingled at his fingertips. “You’re just a very particular annoyance.”

“Oh, Arsonist you sound like you actually care.” distorted laughter echoed through the room and Gerry used that moment to lunge forward, his fire still contained so he wouldn’t accidentally set the painting on fire that the Distortion casually had slung under his shoulder.

And Gerry should’ve hit. He should’ve managed to land his punch, but instead, his fist just phased through the Distortions chest as if it was thin air.

With a muffled curse Gerry managed to turn around just in time to dodge a kick aimed at his heads.

Those goddamn illusions.

Even with his ‘eyes’ he couldn’t always detect him, and it irked him to no end, and the Distortion seemed to know that and find it very amusing.

“Can’t you just pretend you didn’t see me and let me leave?” the Distortion asked, tilting his head.

“You just tried to kick me.” Gerry huffed. “I think not.”

“To be fair, you started, but as you wish.” Flickering Daggers appeared in the air around the Distortion. “Guess I’ll have to make you let me leave.”

“You can try.” Gerry muttered, his body tight with tension, for a moment they just stared at each other, holding their breath each waiting for the others first move. Then the distortion turned an ran while his knives shot forward aimed at Gerry and Gerry followed suit. 

The eyes on his joints glowed faintly red, as he relied on them telling him which knives to dodge and which didn’t matter as he ran after the lanky figure.

A sharp pain zinged through his shoulder as one of the blades managed to graze him, and he hissed. Just a scratch, he told himself. He let the sparks that already danced on his fingertips catch fire, throwing a loosely aimed fireball after the Distortion. He wasn’t planning on hitting the man, just throw him off.

“Stop.” he yelled as the fireball exploded against the wall, somewhere to the right of the Distortions head, making the man jump. 

He threw a glance over his shoulder. “Make me.” he griped before he leapt out of a window and onto the rooftop underneath it.

“You bet I will.” Gerry growled, jumping after him. His knees ached from the shock of the impact, but he didn’t have time to dwell on that, sprinting after the Distortion. The man’s colourful outfit, fortunately, made him stick out like a sore thumb, but Gerry also reminded himself that it hadn’t stopped him from getting away in the past.

Gerry threw another fireball, this time it crashed against the shingles of the rooftop just behind the Distortion.

“Can’t you just leave me alone?” the man shouted.

“Can’t you just give the painting back?”

“But I just stole it!”   
  
Gerry could basically hear the pout in the other’s voice, and it only irritated him further. Annoying Trickster with his too-long fingers and too-big mouth. He did make Gerry want to strangle him. Just a little bit. But for that, he needed to catch him first, so he pushed himself further to shorten the distance between them while also cursing the distortions too long legs. But somehow he managed to catch up.

On a second glance, he noticed the limp. It wasn’t prominent, but it did slow the thief down.

Had it happened when he had jumped out of the window? Gerry didn’t know, but he wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. 

Instead, he focused on aiming at the Distortortions weak spot and with each barely dodged flame ball the limp got more distinct until Gerry managed to get close enough to jump.

This time he hit, he crushed into the distortion, and the impact made them both crash onto the rooftop, sliding a bit further. 

“Got you.” Gerry groaned, just as a foot hit him in the ribs, making pain flare through his body. He grunted, ramming his elbow into the thieves leg in retaliation, making him cry out. Gerry has managed to hit the injured part.

The painting slipped from the Distortions hands, sliding now the slopped part of the roof.

“Fuck.” they both muttered in unison, eyes locked onto the art pieces. 

Gerry slid after it, grabbing it before it could fall. 

When he turned around, the rooftop was empty.

The distortion nowhere in sight. Not even a single brightly coloured piece.

“GOD DAMN IT.” Gerry yelled into the night sky.

Which did nothing to make the thief resurface again, so the only thing Gerry could do was bring the painting back and go home.

  
  


He switched his costume for his regular clothes in some deserted alleyway, hissing when the fabric rubbed over the cut in his shoulder before he made his way home.

The lights were already on when he entered the flat.

“Michael?”, he called out, kicking off his boots in the hallway.

“Yes?” the blonde peaked out from the kitchen.

“You’re already home?” he asked, surprised. “Thought you said it could get late today?”   
  
Michael shrugged. “Change of plans,” he said. “I’m making dinner. I hope you’re hungry.”   
  
“Yeah.” Gerry said, padding into the kitchen, where he wrapped his arms around Michael, letting his head slump against Michael’s shoulder with a sigh.

“Stressful day at work?” 

“You have no idea.” Gerry muttered.

“Annoying costumers?”   
  
Gerry laughed. “Yeah, real little asshole. I think he like annoying me too.” 

Michael hummed. “Maybe he wants your attention.”

Gerry snorted. “Doubt it.” The Distortion already had his attention, and he didn’t think he wanted more of it. “How’s your leg?”   
  
Now it was Michael’s turn to frown. “I thought it was getting better, but I managed to run against the corner of the table earlier, and now it hurts again.” he muttered.

“Aw no,” Gerry said, frowning slightly. “Not your week, huh?” he asked. First, Michael had managed to fall down the stairs, and Gerry hadn’t been able to catch him in time, and now he had hit it again.

“Not really.” Michael agreed with a huff. “But I guess that means next week has to better right?”

Always the optimist.” Gerry chuckled. But that was one of the reasons why he liked Michael so much. 

He leant up to press a quick, fleeting kiss to Michael’s cheek. 

“I’ll go set the table.” he said and left Michael to do his cooking. 

And maybe Michael was right and next week was better. 

Maybe he’d be able to get one pesky thief as well.

**Author's Note:**

> This is entirely inspired by me reading the rules for Masks trying to figure them out jkahsfsaf


End file.
